December 27, 2010 |

Maybe he loses his abilities to make good, sound decisions whenever he drinks. It’s certainly obvious that he makes the poorest decisions when he’s had too much to drink, right? And, for anybody and everybody involved, this is an intolerable reality.

As he awakens, this morning, Sergio Kindle has some increased uncertainty in his life – and it goes well beyond the debate of whether he’ll ever play football for the Ravens. His probationary commitments in Texas are fulfilled and he’s pretty much assured of not facing any incarceration, in Maryland.

However, he’s going to lose his driving privileges in this state, temporarily. And, he needs to come to terms with any problems or issues he has with alcohol – as it’s obviously impacting his life and some resulting poor consequences.

However, an even greater uncertainty than lost driving privileges and related legal sanctions looms as the entirety of Sergio Kindle’s background is examined …..

What did Mack Brown and the staff at the University of Texas do to help this young man in learning from his transgressions in the first DWI arrest, in 2007? Did their involvement cease beyond a simple three game suspension?

How about the 2009 “hit and run” incident? While we realize no criminal charges were filed, I think any prudent mind would assume something beyond text messaging caused Kindle and his passenger to leave the scene of the accident.

Any and every new driver has a few CARDINAL RULES drilled into their minds, when obtaining a license. And, staying at the scene of a collision is absolutely a globally realized expectation and obligation. To claim any excuse is usually unacceptable.

Still, what role did Mack Brown take in helping Sergio Kindle to overcome poor decisions off the field. For me, a college coach has responsibilities beyond the field of play – even if it costs the team at a competitive level. But, I’m not naïve. I realize where their intentions begin and end.

As for the Ravens, Ozzie Newsome and his staff gambled on a kid who made a couple poor decisions when operating a motor vehicle. Yeah, I realize alcohol was only confirmed in one of the incidents, but sometimes we’re best served in reading between the lines, right?

Believe me, I’m not qualified to question Ozzie’s body of work in selecting potential NFL talents, especially from a standpoint emphasized on ability. However, character is also a consideration and I think the organization can be questioned on their selection of Kindle.

Back in July, everybody obliged him a benefit of any doubt when he fell down a flight of stairs and claimed narcolepsy as the sole reason. Once again, I’m not qualified to dispute it. However, suspicions of something like alcohol usage are reasonable, especially given yesterday’s DWI arrest.

For his part, Kindle called this latest arrest a “mistake.” This is not true and it’s not an acceptable acknowledgement of wrongdoing. He jeopardized his life and wellbeing, as well as the innocent motorists on Maryland’s roadways.

At some point, a growing group of people must be accountable of their relationship to the story of Sergio Kindle. Mack Brown has some soul searching to do. And, Ozzie Newsome has some inner examining to conduct, as well.

But, it starts with Sergio Kindle …..

He must stand ALONE on this latest situation, at least as far as the legal sanctions and acceptance of his misgivings are concerned. While he will need support and a corps of people to help him in overcoming it, he must first accept that his actions are more than just a mistake.

Until then, he’s likely not to earn any trust …. on or off the football field.